Vitelline masked weaver, Ploceus vitellinus (formerly; Ploceus velatus vitellinus, protonym; Fringilla vitellina), photographed at Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, Africa.
Image: Dan Logen, 19 January 2010 [velociraptorize].
Nikon D300, 600 mm lens, ISO 640, f/7.1, 1/800 sec
Question: This brilliantly-coloured African mystery bird's basic shape should give you a clue as to the identity of its taxonomic family. Can you name it?
Response: This is an adult vitelline masked weaver, Ploceus vitellinus, in breeding plumage. These common birds are members of Ploceidae, the weaver finches, a family of birds named in honour of the elaborate woven nests built by many species within this group. However, some members of this family are known to be nest parasites, and thus, do not build nests at all.
You are invited to review all of the daily mystery birds by going to their dedicated graphic index page.
If you have bird images, video or mp3 files that you'd like to share with a large and (mostly) appreciative audience, feel free to email them to me for consideration.
